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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
16:40
A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Right atrial thrombosis after upgrading to a biventricular pacing/defibrillation system
Satoshi Kurisu1, Ichiro Inoue, Takuji Kawagoe
1Department of Cardiology, Hiroshima City Hospital, Hiroshima. skurisu@nifty.com
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
|December 17, 2009
Summary
A patient with a pacemaker developed a right atrial mass, likely a blood clot. Anticoagulant therapy successfully resolved the mass, preventing recurrence and indicating effective treatment for cardiac device-related thrombosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- A 56-year-old male patient with a history of atrial fibrillation and bradycardia, managed with right ventricular pacing and experiencing congestive heart failure.
- The patient underwent implantation of a cardiac resynchronization pacemaker with a defibrillator.
Observation:
- Four months post-implantation, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a right atrial mass in an asymptomatic patient.
- Transesophageal echocardiography identified a large, immobile, round mass on the defibrillation lead, adhered to the right atrial free wall.
Findings:
- The right atrial mass resolved completely within one month of initiating anticoagulant therapy.
- This resolution strongly suggests the mass was thrombotic in nature.
Implications:
- Cardiac device implantation can be associated with the formation of right atrial masses, potentially representing thrombosis.
- Anticoagulant therapy appears to be an effective treatment for device-related right atrial thrombosis.
- This case highlights the importance of monitoring for and managing thrombotic complications following cardiac device implantation.
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